


Spider-Silk Bowstring

by Red_Phoenix_Fyre



Series: Drawing Friends (A series of stand-alones in the same Universe) [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action, Assassins, Black Widow - Freeform, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Torture (just a little)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-16 06:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10565859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Phoenix_Fyre/pseuds/Red_Phoenix_Fyre
Summary: Starting from scratch was never easy, especially when it meant rebuilding an entire client base. It would go far more smoothly if weren't for stubborn people on the right side of the law.Perhaps Black Widow could use her soul mate to help solve the issue. Outside ideas could be helpful...





	1. Target #1

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter does have content from Pen Pals, though reading that story is _not_ necessary to follow along with the plot.
> 
> Past this first chapter everything will be new. This story will change points of view later.

She was alone.

It wasn't necessarily an unusual set of circumstances for her, but she had no where to go back to. No one to go back to.

That meant she had to play a different game to get her pay out. Get rid of the middleman. She'd run out of cash and thereby out of options.

It was time to put her skill set back to use. If she played her cards right she would be able to gain enough funds to not have to worry for years to come. All she had to do was build up a base for her operations, contacts and contracts.

Then she could stay in the shadows once again.

 

She had everything perfectly set up. The target was a middle aged man with far too much ego to balance out his brains.

Wearing her push-up bra with the low cut red dress had made drawing his attention far too easy. Keeping it was easier still.

Inviting him back to a secluded cabin who's tenants wouldn't be back for a month wasn't very difficult either.

Black Widow always had an easy time persuading men to come into her web.

The waiting was harder. There was always a chance her mark would decide she was too much trouble when all he wanted was a good lay. It had happened before.

She'd rather not be forced to get creative, it might be easier to track.

Restlessness had Black Widow tapping her fingers against her arms as she waited by the front door. She was out of sight from anyone passing by, but would be able to hear any vehicle that approached. The only one who should be near here would be her target.

To make things appear normal she had the light on in the livingroom. To keep her silhouette from being visible she had no light on where she was.

Stilling her fingers, she listened for the sound of approaching tires.

Finally, she heard them.

Tension filled her muscles until she forced it away. Now wasn't the time for that.

Closing her eyes, Black Widow pushed away her concerns and fell into her persona.

She was a careless woman looking for a good time with a man who had caught her eye, more because of his projected pay cheque than his good looks. If the sex was good enough she'd angle for keeping him around for a while.

Two people exited the sports car, one stayed. The car pulled away and the lone person walked up to the front door.

There was a knock.

Waiting a short time, as if she had come in from another room, Natalia slowly opened the door and greeted the man on the other side with a seductive grin.

“Come on in,” she invited after they had shared hellos. She eased back so he could squeeze past her.

“Did you have problems finding the place?” she asked as she shut the door, hiding the snick of the deadbolt with the words.

He started talking about the drive as she led him into the livingroom, where she had set out some chocolates and two glasses of wine.

Taking a seat on the couch, she leaned forward to pick up a chocolate as he spoke. He took a seat next to her, his eyes glued to her cleavage.

Smirking, Natalia lowered her eyes as she rubbed the chocolate on her bottom lip, then took a small bite. Moaning a bit, she held it out to him.

“You should try it,” she offered with a smile.

Moving closer on the couch, the man took the chocolate from her hand with his lips. Humming, he agreed that it was good.

“But do you know what would be even better? A taste of you,” he told her, then his hands were on her boobs.

Unsurprised but not particularly impressed, Natalia pulled him close as if she reciprocated his feelings, letting his weight settle over her. As he bent down to kiss her she lifted him and shoved him into the chair next to the couch.

He grunted in surprise and asked, “What are you doing?” 

By the time he started to actually struggle she had his arms tied to the chair with the rope that had been beneath the couch.

“You're supposed to be a smart man, I'm sure you can guess,” she told him as she restrained his legs.

“I don't understand! Let me go!” her target demanded, fighting against the ropes that held him immobile.

Really, this was the most boring part of her job, convincing her target she was intimidating.

Clicking her tongue, Black Widow pulled out a knife in clear sight of the restrained man. “Is that any way to speak to a lady? Or anyone who has the upper hand, really,” she added, casually flicking the knife around with her fingers.

The man stuttered and uselessly pulled with his arms. Apprehension finally started to bleed through the indignation on his face.

Raising an eyebrow, Black Widow pointed her knife at him. “Now you're getting the picture.” Coming closer, she moved the blade so it was only an inch from his face, satisfied when he flinched back. 

“What do you want from me?” he asked with a tremor in his voice.

“I'll get to that,” Black Widow told him with a small smile. “Don't you know better than to rush a woman?” 

Tutting as she wandered out of his line of sight deliberately, though he strained to see her, she continued, “Of course you don't, your actions clearly showed that.”

“I--”

She smacked his cheek with the flat of the knife. “I wasn't finished talking,” she taunted.

He made a soft sound of pain, turning away from her. She trailed the blade from his cheek down to his neck.

Sauntering back where he could see her, though keeping the blade on his skin, she spoke again, “If you were more talkative before going for my breasts you might not have ended up in this position. Don't you know a lady likes to be romanced?”

"I--I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I didn't know that--"

Black Widow cut him off with another smack of her blade. "You didn't know it was impolite to treat me like an object?" she asked lazily. No matter what he was going to say it would have been just as bad.

He made a soft sad sound as she teased his skin with the edge of her knife. "We'll just have to teach you some manners," she informed him.

Sighing a bit as she shook her head, she continued, "Sadly, you won't get time to put them into practice. I wouldn't even bother with the lesson but you have something I need."

Trailing her blade up to his jaw as she stepped behind him once more, Black Widow leaned in close to his right ear.

"You have a contract to pass over blueprints for the latest weapon's design from your company. Tell me where they are and I won't make the next hours so painful for you that you'll think they've lasted days," she murmured to him.

The man made a whimpering sound, causing her to huff.

"I--I can't," he whined.

"Can't?" Black Widow asked as she leaned closer to him, the knife moving to the front of his neck. "I don't think you understand the position you're in." Grasping his tie tightly, she swung around his body until she was straddling his lap. Pulling the tie tight enough to bite into his skin, tighter the longer she held it, she told him, "You talk or I'll be forced to make you suffer. The faster you answer the less pain you'll be in. Save yourself the trouble and tell me where it is."

She released the tie as continued staring at his eyes. His body stopped futilely struggling as the tie loosened.

He made a sound of distress, unable to meet her eyes as he said, "I--it's. It's... I don't know where it is!" he lied and then flinched.

"Wrong answer," Black Widow replied, standing up. She smacked his other cheek with the flat of the blade, dragging it away with a slight flick that left him with a paper-thin cut.

He cried out in pain and cringed away but didn't begin talking again.

Internally rolling her eyes at the delay, Black Widow dragged the edge of her blade along his neck hard enough to leave a large red scrape.

He whimpered again as she moved her knife to his throat.

"Let's try that again. Where is the location of the weapon's blueprints?" she cued him, strolling around him once again.

A slight sound had her spinning but not in time to stab her attacker. Throwing him off her as she hit the ground she rolled up into a crouch.

Facing her attacker, she quickly took him in. The slim blonde man was muscular and held himself like a trained professional, though the bow on his back was a surprise.

She tilted her head, putting his threat level as medium.

"Well, hello there," Black Widow greeted him, then launched herself at him.

He managed to block her from stabbing him, and most of her blows besides. She was no longer in the business of killing everyone who saw her, so she was hesitant to use the full force of her resources.

Blocking a punch that would have hit her face, she retaliated with one aimed for his chest. She hit him in the side and met his eyes with hers.

Tilting her head towards her target, who the newcomer was obviously protecting, she asked, "Is he worth your time?"

Ducking another blow, she kicked at him.

As he redirected her foot from his gut, he replied, “No.” He kicked at her while the man behind him whimpered. “But he isn't worth yours either.”

“My handler disagrees,” she lied as she tossed her knife at the restrained man.

As her attacker knocked it out of the air she kicked his legs out from under him and followed him to the ground. Needing him out of commission, she tried to jab him with her widow bites. He managed to block with his forearms, causing them to make a sizzling sound.

Legs wrapped around her from behind, gripping well enough to tear her off him. 

She rolled with the momentum as he accused, “Black Widow.”

Her heart froze as her eyes met his.

“You've heard of me? How nice,” she taunted as she closed in again.

She needed to put a stop to this.

Ramping up her attacks, she landed a hard kick to his ribs. By now she had almost learned all of his fighting style.

He retaliated by trying to cut her open with a knife.

Latching onto his wrist she threw him over her shoulders.

He hit the wall with a crash.

Spinning to face him she spotted the phone he now had out.

She couldn't handle him and back-up without deaths.

Aiming a kick for his hand, she missed as he scrambled away.

Her second hit connected but there was already a voice coming from the speaker.

“Couldn't handle me on your own, hot shot?” she snapped.

“Not stupid enough to risk it,” he answered, rising to a crouch.

He was smart, she'd give him that. But...

“Then I better make my escape,” she told him, and as he tensed she threw another knife.

The target screamed in pain. 

Her attacker had left her target open.

She caught sight of his slight smile as she raced for her escape route.

If he followed her target would die.

He didn't follow.

 

Much later she contemplated her options. The blueprints were likely far out of her reach by now, but that didn't mean she didn't have other choices.

Time to go for something else.


	2. Target #3 & #4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still Natasha's point of view the whole way through, don't get confused by any naming.
> 
> All new content from here on out.

Target two was a footnote in her books as she moved on from the assassination to more espionage.

Dealing in secrets was often more lucrative than dealing in death. Her current “contract” was finding out just how desperate her current mark was...or wasn't. They wanted to know exactly how far he could be pushed before he'd push back. Blackmail material would get her a bonus. The dirtier it was, the more she'd get.

Having already watched her target, she knew he was having an affair with his secretary. Not unusual, but likely to make a bigger splash since his secretary was male and that wasn't looked on positively in the circles he swam in.

Looking into his business figures proved he was doing well this quarter, but that didn't tell her what he personally projected for the next.

Deciding it was time to see what she could gain in person, she continued her watching from afar and waited for the right day.

 

Tuesday it rained. 

No, it poured.

Nadine had left her umbrella at home. It had been a long day at work...and it hadn't been a good one. 

She hadn't worn her water proof make-up and her purse was a poor substitute for the hood her coat was lacking.

Ducking her head meant that she hadn't seen the man coming before they collided.

Losing her balance was inevitable in high heels after being hit.

The man apologized. “Ms, are you alright?” he asked politely, leaning down into Nadine's space.

Hastily scrambling to her feet Nadine knew she must have looked as terrible as she must have felt. “I—I'm fine,” she answered, ducking her head and looking at him through the wet fan of her lashes with hunched shoulders.

She shivered and clutched her bag to her chest.

Making a tsk sound, the man held his umbrella over her head. “Here, let's go right into this cafe. I'll pay for your coffee.”

“Oh,” Nadine said, her eyes going wide as he put a hand on her shoulder to steer her. “You don't need to, really. My home isn't far.”

“I insist. I can surely afford to buy a coffee for the woman I knocked clean off her feet,” he replied, Nadine could hear the smile in his voice but she checked over her shoulder to catch it.

“If you're sure,” she answered, her voice unsure.

“My treat,” he insisted as he lead them to the line. “Rain always has all of us in such a hurry. I don't blame you for not noticing I was there. You look soaked.”

Pulling the collar of her coat away from her throat, Nadine grimaced. “I'm sure I look like a wet raccoon. I'm so sorry for running into you,” she apologized.

“Not to worry sweetheart, my mind was on figures and not where I was going,” the man demurred.

“With a suit like that you must be one of the big businessmen in the city. The figures can't be going badly,” Nadine answered.

His smile briefly turned to a frown, too quick for most to catch but she wasn't most.

The hesitation was brief enough that most would also have put it down to being nothing before he replied, “Of course not. With a mind like mine things never go sour.” 

She needed another look at his accounts.

Taking her free coffee with a grateful wave, Nadine ducked back onto the street.

Black Widow had picked up a tail that she need to lose.

Shortly after, her tail was lost and she was on her way back to her temporary base. Once she had turned in her information for pay she would need to move to another country for a while. Shivering a bit, she decided on somewhere warmer.

 

She had set her contacts to looking into the man with the bow. Not many professionals carried such an archaic weapon, it wouldn't be hard to rule people out. 

It had taken longer than expected to get information back.

Turned out the man was some crazy American who went by Hawkeye. What he was doing so far away from his home country was a mystery she had no intention of pursuing. As long as he stayed out of her business she'd ignore that he could now ID her.

 

She was stalking target four when the first tickle across her skin occurred. Recognizing the sensation for the feeling of her soul mate letting something dry on their skin she was instantly uneasy. The feeling meant that it was far better to leave her current job before she made a mistake.

She'd had a soul mate once, while she was in the Red Room.

It had been another girl that was at the facility with her.

They had found out during training due the other girl being injured. When the blood had dried the girl who would become Black Widow had blood on her that she had not gained on her own.

Anyone knew that soul mates were those who were supposed to understand you best at the moment you could contact them. Anything that dried to your skin could be used to communicate.

No one was to have loyalties that were above their superiors in the Red Room. They had been forced to fight to the death as an example to the others.

Now she watched the marks appear on her skin in fascinated horror.

There was no one to stop her from replying back to the complaints about being bored written on her skin in English...but.

What was she to say?

Boredom was not a state she was ever to admit to, whether or not she experienced it. 

The words stayed there as she watched them, then a few idle lines and shapes appeared. An hour later it was washed away.

Confused by her own reaction, she decided it was time to take care of her body before going to sleep. Perhaps when she was better rested she would know what to do with the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one is obviously darker than Pen Pals, and certainly won't be hugely lighthearted throughout. It should ease up after this though, we're just covering the past of Black Widow before we move forward.
> 
> I may end up covering some more of Clint's past as well, which would also be dark, but that won't come for some time yet.


End file.
